Extreme immigration will destroy the Albanese Government

An immigration revolt is brewing that risks bringing down the Albanese Government.

On 28 April, The SMH published an article outlining the Australian Treasury’s upgraded immigration projections, with a record 400,000 net overseas migrants now expected to land in Australia this financial year, followed by 315,000 in 2023-24:

This new immigration projection is way above the 235,000 net overseas migration (NOM) projected in the September federal budget and January’s Population Statement.

The SMH’s article received 1061 comments, the overwhelming majority of which were angry at the higher migration intake.

Last week, The SMH published an article entitled “What you think of record migration while Australia has a housing shortage”.

This article showcased readers’ strong views against the news that Australia’s migrant intake would soar to its highest level on record.

“Many readers were unhappy about such a steep rise in arrivals while Australia has a housing and infrastructure shortage”, the article noted before summarising readers’ views.

Former editor of the Canberra Times, Crispin Hull, also published an article warning that “at least 65% of voters do not want a higher population”, and that extreme immigration is a key “threat to the Albanese Government”.

Hull noted that at 2.5 people per household, Labor’s 400,000 NOM means 160,000 dwellings will be required, which is far less than what we are building.

Moreover, this housing estimate does not account of natural population increase of around 100,000.

“At a stroke, [Labor’s migration program] will consume all of Labor’s recent housing efforts as if they had done nothing. And that is exactly what it will look like, and voters will condemn Labor for it”, Hull warned.

“It is Year 6 arithmetic. What doesn’t the Government understand about this?”

“Are its members lacking in intelligence, or wilfully deaf to those grievously harmed by high immigration while being supplicant to business’s shrill calls for cheap labour under the mistaken belief it is good for the economy”.

Moreover, Hull warned that “land consumed by housing takes it from agriculture, so agriculture has to take it away from nature. Again, putting to nought Labor’s efforts on biodiversity, as if it had done nothing”.

“The best progressive government in the world cannot keep up with the monster of population growth”.

“Setting a population policy that does not jeopardise government efforts in other areas and does not jeopardise multi-culturalism is not rocket science. We can easily do it here”, Hull said.

Already we are beginning to see the Coalition pivot.

Last week opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume warned that Labor’s extreme immigration policy is putting undue strain on housing and infrastructure, which is a “recipe for disaster”.

“Infrastructure is being cut. Having an increased migration intake but a decreased amount of infrastructure to support that migration on top of the housing crisis, that’s a recipe for disaster”, Hume told AAP.

Indeed, if the Coalition can ditch Peter Dutton in favour of somebody young and fresh, and run hard against high immigration, it could easily find itself back in contention.

Voters hate the ‘Big Australia’ mass immigration policy. It’s just that we’ve had no opposition to it among the major parties, which is why the policy has remained untouched.

Hopefully, the Coalition will now break rank. Although I am not holding my breath.

Source: https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2023/05/extreme-immigration-will-destroy-the-albanese-government/